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O.Liv.O: Charming Pizzeria & Bar in Zamalek

Published On:
20/10/2014

Certain types of food are often – and almost systematically – corrupted in kitchens across Cairo restaurants, with that seemingly simple thing called a pizza suffering more than most. The eternal, and often unfruitful, quest for authentic pizza in Cairo has seen a rise in restaurants claiming to offer the real deal, with the latest being O.Liv.O in Zamalek – which also doubles up as a bar.

Located at the New President Hotel on Taha Hussein Street, the restaurant is almost hidden but for a sign above a white door to the left of the entry to neighbouring watering hole and sister venue, Bar D'O. There are no windows to peak through – the windows that do exist are frosted and obscured by greenery outside – and it adds to what is a pleasantly secluded dining experience.

If O.Liv.O is going for authenticity, it's not reflected in the interior – and it needn't be.

Instead, O.Liv.O. is a pastiche of different visual quirks. Andalusian-style tiling coats the bar behind which the brick-oven is placed and various pieces of contemporary art hang from the walls; the music at the time of our visit, meanwhile, swayed between Spanish and jazz covers – it was a little too loud for the hushed colours and lighting.

Seating across the small space is divided between long high-tables for larger groups, with a couple of smaller tables able to accommodate groups of four or less, giving the place the feel of a bar more than a restaurant – the influence of Bar D'O is evident.

Aiming to recreate the classic Neapolitan style of pizza, what comes out of O.Liv.O's brick-oven certainly looks the part. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the pizza was riddled with small imperfections, the most affective of which was the sauce; although pleasingly plentiful, it was too salty. This was a particular problem with the pizza bufala (75LE); despite being topped generously with arugula (of the big-leafed, local variety) and cherry tomatoes, the saline sauce dominated the otherwise rich mozzarella – maybe an extra pinch of sugar during the sauce cooking process would have helped to neutralise it a little.

The same comments can be applied to the bresaola pizza (85LE), too. The imported bresaola – a cured beef – was draped in generous strips across the pizza alongside cherry tomatoes, arugula and (a little) basil. Though the combination of flavours is excellent on paper, the bresaola itself was lacking its subtle sweet and musty tang. To the kitchen's credit, though, the base is well made and surprisingly light.

Bar-wise, we're told that Bar D'O's popular cocktails will slowly but surely make their way over and the evening called for a pitcher of 'Nigeria' (210LE); white wine, white rum and pineapple juice, with plenty of sliced fruit, a la sangria – but, confusingly, it's not a Nigerian Chapman, which is our Nigerian brethren's version of sangria. Call it what you will, once again the influence of Bar D'O is evident; after a brief moment of confusion and a staff team huddle behind the bar, the pitcher was quickly made, delivered to our table and then very quickly devoured. Heavy on the rum and wine, it was a refreshing and lighter alternative to red wine-based sangria.

Of the concise dessert options, the lemon sorbet with limoncello (50LE) is the most intriguing. Unfortunately, however, it bore little resemblance to sorbet and was more like crystallised ice cream. Served in a tall Martini glass, the portion is small but suitably sized and its saving grace was that it was full of flavour; truth be told, it was eaten up all the same.

O.Liv.O is a welcome addition to Cairo and has certainly succeeded in riling up Cairo diners. The pizza is by no means offensive, and actually makes for a decent bar snack, but behind the posturing, the pizza ends up almost as a side-note to what is an overall novel venue.

It's always interesting re-reviewing Cairo's restaurants; consistency is a game that few eateries around Egypt's capital juggle effectively, but it's something that the Zamalek branch of Crave has seemingly managed to maintain. Founded back in 2004, Crave has become a staple of the local dining scene and has expanded to Maadi, Tivoli Dome, Arkan Mall and City View since its inception. In that time, the casual atmosphere of the restaurant has remained unchanged; there are separate areas for smoking and non-smoking, as well as a comfy couch area, all to the backdrop of a demure and velvety decor and cutlery used as quirky decoration. Having been around for over a decade, Crave can lay claim to having several signature dishes over the years, including the Zombie Burger and the Chocolate Fondant among others, but regulars often forget how extensive the menus really is, covering sandwiches, burgers, pastas, salads and more. Upon our arrival, a friendly waiter gracefully opened the door for us and another led us to our table before placing menus and filling our glasses with water with a pleasantly casual ease. From the appetizers section, we opted for Spinach Mushrooms (37.95LE). For our mains, we opted for Veal Parmesan (84.95LE) and Chicken MCM (64.95LE) and for dessert, an order of Mini Cheese Cake (32.95LE). Our first nibble of the meal came in the form of an appetiser that was every bit as rich and full of flavour as the menu suggested. Arriving around fifteen minutes after placing our order, the Spinach Mushrooms (37.95LE) was quite delightful. Floating in a creamy spinach sauce, the mushrooms were stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese and served with Crave's special seasoned and buttered bread. Things only got better with the mains. The Veal Parmesan (84.95LE), covered in tempura and fried to a perfect crisp, was both tasty and generous in portion, though the dish's side of spaghetti with tomato sauce was, unfortunately, far too greasy. Our second main was the Chicken MCM (64.95LE); a fried chicken breast topped with mushrooms, onions and melted mozzarella cheese. While it was well seasoned and cooked, the chicken was cut too think – an unusual gripe, maybe, but it was so think, in fact, that it was unevenly cooked. Despite that, the side of fettuccine Alfredo, was much better, boasting noticeably fresh mushrooms and a sauce that was creamy without being too heavy. Then came many Cairenes' favourite part of a meal – dessert. Opting for the mini cheesecake (32.95LE), we can confirm that they are every bit as small as they appear in the menu – maybe even smaller. The three cheesecakes came with strawberry syrup, caramel and chocolate and each could easily fit in a tablespoon. While it was satisfying in terms of flavour, they were all incredibly sweet, maybe too sweet for some. Despite the niggling flaws during the time of our visit, Crave's strongest characteristic is that it is suitable for either a casual bite or a more formal full-blown meal; the whole experience is laidback, unhurried and unpretentious – all keys to its continuing success.

Known for being one of the best pizza restaurants in Cairo, Il Divino recently announced the launch of a new menu that includes new pastas, sandwiches and pizzas, as well as salads and desserts.

Even though the Zamalek branch is quite small, the service from the very start at the time of our visit was rather unorganised; we had planned to kick things off with the Insalata Di Quinoa Con Gamberie Agrumi (78LE) as an appetiser, but we were served the pizza before anything else.

The pizza in question was the Bufala (65LE) pizza. Topped with perfectly-seasoned tomato sauce, a generous amount of fresh buffalo cheese and complimented with fresh basil leaves, the thin crust pizza was perfectly executed and everything tasted fresh, leaving us wondering why this classic wasn’t on the menu before.

After almost finishing the pizza, the salad was served alongside an order of Linguine Frutti Di Mare (90LE) too. As a mixture of quinoa, avocado, baby shrimp, chickpeas, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and citrusy vinaigrette, the portion of the Insalata Di Quinoa Con Gamberie Agrumi was huge. Despite the slight un-freshness of the shrimp, the feta cheese and the vinaigrette added great flavours and it made for an overall light salad.

After almost finishing the pizza, the salad was served alongside an order of Linguine Frutti Di Mare (90LE) too. As a mixture of quinoa, avocado, baby shrimp, chickpeas, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and citrusy vinaigrette, the portion of the Insalata Di Quinoa Con Gamberie Agrumi was huge. Despite the slight un-freshness of the shrimp, the feta cheese and the vinaigrette added great flavours and it made for an overall light salad.

We finished our meal with Calzone Nutella (55LE) for dessert – a calzone stuffed with Nutella and topped with more Nutella. On paper the dessert seemed delicious, but the result was rather disappointing. The dough was too dry and thick and the scant amount of filling wasn’t distributed equally. A jar of Nutella costs 130LE these days, though.

All in all, we had mixed feelings about our visit at Il Divino. The new additions of the sandwiches and salads have made it into a suitable breakfast or brunch destination, and the pastas now has more variety. On the other hand, the service, the imperfections in the salad and dessert didn’t do justice to a restaurant that regularly serves up terrific pizzas and whose new pastas could look like they’re going to be just as good.